Astronomy And Other Things
by PotterheadStormHawk
Summary: This is a PHC that was written for me that I expanded beyond belief. This is my first fic, but I hope you enjoy it. Please R R


**Disclaimer: I don't own HP, no matter how much I would love to.**

**Chapter 1: The Tower**

Evynn was walking up the Astronomy Tower. She heard someone up there but didn't think much of it. It was probably just some student who, like her, wanted to study a bit extra. Many of the fifth-years had struggled with their OWLs, and according to the upper year levels, end-of-year exams were proving to be less fruitful than recent years. For some reason, Astronomy was a horrible subject that year.

When Evynn rounded the corner at the top of the stairs she saw none other than Harry Potter sitting by one of the rails, staring blankly into the air. 'He probably isn't here to study' she thought. Evynn was good friends with Ginny, so she knew about Harry's recent behaviour of being distant and constantly being found up here sitting alone, thinking about what they could only guess. She was also very good friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione, even though she was a year below them and a Ravenclaw. She could often be found in the library with Hermione as she was taking the same subject as she did the previous year. Hermione was able to aid her in her homework even though she didn't really need it. Or she could be located out on the Quidditch Pitch playing broom tag with Harry, Ron and Ginny.

"Harry?" Evynn asked tentatively. She hadn't spoken to him much recently, and she had the feeling that he wanted to be alone. She would leave him be and come back later if need be.

"Oh, um, hi Evynn. What are you doing up here?" Harry said, looking over at his friend. His voice was croaky and his eyes were bloodshot. It was evident he had been crying. "I came here to study." She replied. Harry gave a small, hollow laugh before saying "In broad daylight?" She nodded. "I'm studying the moon, and it's up now, even if it's like 3pm. I want to get this project done as soon as I can. Besides, I avoid going out in the dark if I can help it. I don't like it anymore, not since…" she trailed off. She had just brought up the one subject she knew should be avoided. She nervously twisted a lock of her black-tipped red hair around her finger, worrying she may have upset him more and he would yell at her.

"After what happened to Dumbledore?" He finished calmly. She was relieved she hadn't hit the nerve, or at least, he hadn't revealed the hurt aloud. "But why the dark?" he asked, a small look of confusion crossing his face. Evynn gulped. "Um, well, I was on my way to the Tower around the time you and Dumbledore must've had all that trouble. I was going to tell you that Snape had slipped through our grasp." She gulped, she didn't want to bring up that slimeball traitor but it was essential to the story. "I heard someone behind me, and I saw those Death Eaters coming towards me, so I hid, but that werewolf, Greyback, he caught my scent. He got me when I came out. I thought they had gone. He had a tight grip around my waist and I couldn't get to my wand. He was questioning me about why I was out so late. He was asking me about you and Dumbledore and whether I had seen you, and I told him no. He was going to let me go, but Snape came downstairs with the rest of the Death Eaters and told him what happened. Snape didn't even care that Greyback had me; he just looked at me and stared. Then the grip around my waist tightened. I couldn't breathe. He snarled at me that I'd lied, and he was going to take me to Voldemort to be 'dealt with'. But just as he was about to apparate you came down and stunned him." She was the only one besides Harry and Dumbledore that said the name without hesitation, and that was one reason that she and Harry were such good friends. "That's why I don't like the dark anymore. I'm afraid he'll come back and grab me and actually take me." She looked over at Harry; he had a look of guilt on his face.

He slid across the bench and put his arm around her. "I'm sorry Evynn. I didn't mean to upset you." He gave her a side hug. "It's just… Dumbledore meant a lot to all of us. I didn't know that it was you Greyback had. It thought he was going to bite who he was holding, and seeing as I know Remus well enough and seen his transformation, I didn't want that for anyone else."

"Yeah, Dumbledore was a great man." Evynn replied. She wanted to avoid more talk of the encounter that haunted her dreams at night. "At least it's McGonagall that has taken over the post of headmaster. She knew Dumbledore really well. She'll do a lot of what he did." She leaned into his hug, liking the comfort he gave her. It was rare that she ever showed this kind of emotion that would need him or Ron to comfort her like this, and whenever it did, she felt better almost instantly. "Yes that's true Ev, but I'm afraid McGonagall won't be able to keep the post for long." He said, his voice now sounding a little stronger. He looked at Evynn, and she saw a hint of concern cross his eyes. "How do you know that Harry?" He frowned. "I know McGonagall, and I know Dumbledore. And, as much as I hate to admit it, I know Voldemort. I know what he has planned. I know what will need to be done, and I know what to do to stop him." A strange look crossed her face. "What will need to happen?" He shook his head. "Sorry Evs, I can't tell you now. Dumbledore made me promise not to discuss it." A silence fell between them.

Evynn watched Harry. She realised he was kind of good-looking, with his messy black hair and striking green eyes. But although hair and eyes are what drew the attention, she also noticed that he had slightly fuller lips than most boys. This made him seem both older and younger than his age of sixteen. And he was tall, well, a good two inches taller than her anyway. She also saw that he seemed less skinny than when she first met him. Still slender, but he no longer looked like someone who had been starved.

What Evynn hadn't noticed was that Harry was watching her too. Her brown skin, chocolate-brown eyes, the black tips in her red hair, and the slender curves of her slim body. He noticed that she had gotten her ears pierced again. He saw a small stud a little above her original piercings. A Peridot stone lay in each stud. 'The colour of her birth month' he thought. How strange he would remember her birthstone.

The pair seemed to notice that they were staring at each other and they quickly averted their eyes. Evynn blushed slightly.

"It suits you." Harry said suddenly. Evynn looked at him, confused. "What suits me?" she asked. "Being embarrassed like that. It gives your cheeks a bit of colour." He realised he had said all that out loud and blushed a little himself. He laughed. So did she. They both felt a little more at ease, laughing. Harry smiled sheepishly. "Oh, um, sorry. That seemed a little… err… odd to say."

Evynn thought about it for a moment, and then said "No, it isn't. It was a compliment. And a compliment is a nice… if a bit unexpected… thing to get." "Hmmm" he said, staring off behind her, apparently looking at the door down at the bottom of the stairs. Just as she turned around to see what he was looking at, he grabbed her chin and kissed her once, hard, on the lips. When he pulled away he froze from shock of his actions and she just stood at him at a loss for words.

"What… I thought you were with Ginny?" Her thoughts strayed to those nights in Gryffindor Common Room, seeing the love in their eyes. Then she remembered that small twinge she got in her stomach every time she saw them kissing. Was it jealousy? 'No, I must have just thought how nice it would be to have something like that for myself.' She thought to herself. Harry's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I am… that is to say, I was. I broke up with her… not five hours ago." He seemed nervous. "Why did you break up with her, you both seemed so happy." She asked, trailing again to the free periods and holidays when they would stay at the castle or go The Burrow. "To protect her." This simple answer took Evynn by surprise, which made the kiss even stranger. If Harry had broken up with Ginny because he no longer had feelings for her, or he had feelings for someone else – her perhaps, though she didn't want to think too highly of herself – then the kiss would have made more sense, or at least it could've been explained. As things were, it was funny that he had kissed her. Not that she minded. He was handsome, kind, loyal, smart, and famous – but she didn't want to spoil things for him. She didn't care if he was famous or not, she knew he would have been just as kind. Her muggle parents were good friends with Harry's mother Lily Evans before she was killed, and they often told her of stories from when they were young, how sweet and courageous she was.

"Harry? Why did you kiss me?" Evynn was confused, and being a Ravenclaw, she didn't like that. "I… I don't know. I just thought I should." He said, before sprinting down the stairs and out the door, leaving her too stunned to follow.


End file.
